Crews

To the editor: So often we only hear about the bad things that occur in our communities, so I thought I’d write to share just one of the good things. Every time we get heavy rains like we recently had, the end of my driveway washes out, trapping me on my farm. As I am disabled, I have had to depend on my neighbors to fix my driveway or do it myself, which is extremely difficult. After one call to Coleman Tudor at the Jessamine County Road Department, he had a crew at my farm within 30 minutes to take care of the problem.

STANFORD - Federal road crews will be salting roads in Lincoln County and nine other area counties in preparation for snow forecasted for this afternoon and tomorrow. Drivers should watch out for pre-treating crews and slow down near them, according to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Road condition reports for major routes are available by calling 511 or visiting www.511.ky.gov.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews will begin treating for noxious and nuisance weeds throughout the state this month. The treatments aid in controlling the spread of undesirable plants along state highway rights of way.  The cabinet, in accordance with KRS 176.051, targets Johnson grass, giant foxtail, Canada thistle, nodding thistle, multiflora rose, black nightshade, wild cucumber and kudzu.  Property owners can learn more about specific treatments in their areas by contacting their district highway office.

The mixture of rain, snow, ice and sleet that moved through Clark County and the surrounding area Wednesday night has road crews out scraping and salting for the second time this week. Clark County Road Supervisor Kevin Wilson said it’s shaping up to be a busy winter for crews, who have already put in approximately 25-30 hours on the three winter storms this month. County road crews have been working since 2 a.m., Wilson said, when the precipitation started as snow. Throughout the night, the snow changed over to ice and sleet, and crews expect to battle the wintry mix throughout the day. “It takes more effort to get it off there now,” Wilson said of the ice. Wilson advised motorists to use extreme caution and allow extra time to get to their destinations.

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted a short winter and an early spring when he failed to see his shadow a couple of weeks ago, but if any more snow falls on Jessamine County between now and then, even one more week of winter could be too many. And that’s because just about everyone is out of road salt. The city crews for Wilmore and Nicholasville ran out of salt Wednesday night, and the county crew was scraping the bottom of the barrel after Thursday morning’s routes. Thanks to the large amount of snow Kentucky has received this winter, it’s not surprising.

Boyle County Engineer Duane Campbell said two debris removal crews are out in force this morning working on Boyle County roads. According to Campbell, the crews are targeting Ky. 300 between Junction City and Parksville, as well as the Scenic View subdivision on the Danville side of Perryville.

Boyle County residents should get debris to the curb or roadside for pickup Monday morning, when 16 crews hired by the state will begin making rounds in the county. Boyle County Judge-Executive Harold McKinney learned Friday that eight cleanup contracts were awarded for the county, and each should have a minimum of two crews. McKinney said people need to move their debris as soon as possible because these crews will move quickly. He said he's not certain of the specific areas that will be cleaned up and that eventually there could be as many as 25 crews working.

Dear Editor: Although Spring is still a few weeks away, the crews that remove the litter from our roadsides have already begun their work. Imagine what our beautiful community would look like if not for the labors of these folks! It's unfortunate that the carelessness of a few creates this unsightly mess; nevertheless, we should be grateful to the cleanup teams that have begun the task of picking up after them! We encourage everyone to express their thanks to the crews - just slow down a bit, roll your window down and say, "Thank you!"

The snow was prime for play Saturday - fat, wet flakes and little ice - and the area can expect a refill today. The National Weather Service predicts there will be more scattered snow showers today, mainly before 3 p.m., with a high of 32 degrees. The temperature will dip to near 20 degrees tonight, and freezing temperatures are predicted until after 11 a.m. Monday, which may cause water on the roads to freeze. Boyle County public works crews plan to be back out on county roadways today to make sure the roads will be clear for school buses Monday.

Winchester Fire/EMS and Winchester Municipal Utilities will be flow testing hydrants on the following streets Friday: 4th Street 1st Street 5th Street 2nd Street 7th Street 3rd Street C.G. Stephenson Drive Almond Street Denny Avenue Cook Avenue Edgemont Drive Hill Street Elm Street Madison Street Evans Street Melbourne Street Forest Avenue Mutual Avenue ...

PERRYVILLE - Crews were called to a structure fire at about 5:40 on Wednesday night in a vacant house on Webster Road southeast of Perryville. The fire began in the rear of the house and had not yet spread to the rest when crews arrived. While the cause is unknown, it is not considered suspicious. According to Boyle County Assistant Fire Chief James Coffman, the department will still investigate, as they do with every fire. "We have a really good investigation team. Fortunately, we don't have a lot of fires in the county.

Officials from the Nicholasville Fire Department and Jessamine County Emergency Management are investigating a nitric-acid leak off Industry Parkway in Nicholasville. The leak happened around 5:30 p.m. and originated at Aulick Chemical, located at 111 Patton Court. Officials are asking residents in the Ashgrove area east of the spill toward Tates Creek Road to stay indoors. The Tuscany Valley subdivision off Ashgrove Lane has been completely evacuated, officials said around 8 p.m. The Journal is on the scene and will update the story as more information becomes available.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet crews will begin treating for noxious and nuisance weeds throughout the state this month. The treatments aid in controlling the spread of undesirable plants along state highway rights of way.  The cabinet, in accordance with KRS 176.051, targets Johnson grass, giant foxtail, Canada thistle, nodding thistle, multiflora rose, black nightshade, wild cucumber and kudzu.  Property owners can learn more about specific treatments in their areas by contacting their district highway office.

Utility crews were called out about 1:30 this morning to repair a broken water main on Monroe Avenue. A police officer spotted water running down Long Avenue, just off of Lexington Avenue. The break was a six-inch cast iron pipe main. “This is typical this time of year,” said Mike Flynn, general manager of Winchester Municipal Utilities (WMU). “It was the freeze and thaw effect of the ground that caused it to break.” This incident was the 20th water line breaks for WMU this year.

A Waynesburg man who makes occasional appearances on Animal Planet's “Call of the Wildman” has been arrested for flagrant non-support and lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center. Jacob Dewayne Ison, 38, is known as “Handyman” Jake Ison on the reality television show about Ernie Brown Jr., better known as “the Turtleman.” Jail records show Ison was arrested by state police on Jan. 31. He was indicted in Lincoln County in October on one count of flagrant non-support.

DANVILLE - A Waynesburg man who makes occasional appearances on Animal Planet's "Call of the Wildman" has been arrested for flagrant non-support and lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center. Jacob Dewayne Ison, 38, is known as "Handyman" Jake Ison on the reality television show about Ernie Brown Jr., better known as "the Turtleman. " Jail records show Ison was arrested by state police on Jan. 31. He was indicted in Lincoln County in October on one count of flagrant non-support.

STANFORD - Federal road crews will be salting roads in Lincoln County and nine other area counties in preparation for snow forecasted for this afternoon and tomorrow. Drivers should watch out for pre-treating crews and slow down near them, according to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Road condition reports for major routes are available by calling 511 or visiting www.511.ky.gov.

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While the northeast is hammered by the remnants of Superstorm Sandy, Winchester prepares for more than just the fallout of nasty weather. East Kentucky Power is ready should other states need help, public and media relations representative Nick Comer said. “We're working with our state-wide association, the Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives, and they coordinate with other states when these things happen,” he said. “They determine where the greatest need is and how we can have the greatest impact.” As the storm moves inland, most of the cooperatives are in a holding pattern.

SALVISA - A house sustained severe damage following a fire Monday, which started in the garage of a residence located on Oregon Road in Salvisa.  No one was harmed in the fire. Crews were called to the scene about 10:30 p.m. According to Howard Fallis of the Salvisa Fire Department, the garage was engulfed totally and the fire had spread through the attic into the home when they arrived on scene.   “There was severe damage to the home,”¿Fallis said.  Embers also had flared up and landed in a wooded area behind the home, so additional crews were called.